African leaders are pressuring Putin to end war - Reuters
At the Russia-Africa summit, African leaders called on Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to end the war against Ukraine and return to the "grain agreement".
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to Reuters.
Although African leaders did not directly criticize Russia's actions, their statements were more coherent and decisive than usual. They were meant to serve as a reminder that Africa is concerned about the consequences of Russia's war against Ukraine, primarily the rise in food prices.
"This war must end. And it can only end on the basis of justice and reason. The disruptions in energy supply and grain supply must stop immediately. The grain agreement must be extended for the benefit of all the peoples of the world, especially Africans," said the head of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat.
The President of the Republic of Congo, Denis Sassou-Nguesso, said that the African peace plan "deserves the closest attention, it cannot be underestimated... We once again strongly call for the restoration of peace in Europe."
Senegalese President Macky Sall called for "de-escalation that will help create peace," while South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed hope that "constructive engagement and negotiations" could end the conflict.
Such statements prompted Putin to repeatedly defend Russia's position and shift the blame for the war to Ukraine and the West. Responding to Mahamat, he said that Russia is "grateful to our African friends for paying attention to this problem", but it is Kyiv that refuses to negotiate with him.
At the summit, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called on Russia to restore the Black Sea Grain Agreement, which allowed Ukraine to export grain from its seaports despite the conflict. Al-Sisi, whose country is a major buyer of grain through the Black Sea route, told the summit that it was "important to reach an agreement" on reviving the deal.
In response, Putin, as before, said that the rise in world food prices is a consequence of the political mistakes of the West, which were made long before the war in Ukraine.
